1.25.2010

Gift Wrapping Your Walls~

Just inside our back door is a little "mud" area. It's very useful...and very....drab. The minute I saw it, it made me homesick for my mini-mudroom in all it's beadboard prettiness. I put my "simplify" sign up - and it fit perfectly - but it just didn't give it the "bang" I was looking for.(forgive the orange indoor lighting...it was evening when I started this project)

Since this is a rental home, putting up beadboard like my mini-mudroom was definitely not an option. But I had to do something.

I thought of wallpaper....but again....rental. Then I remembered something I did in my college apartment. I almost hate to admit this, because it will definitely date me. But back in my college days, wallpaper borders were the "in" thing. So, to spruce up our boring builder beige apartment, we stapled a wallpaper border along the top edge of our living room walls. The key word here being "stapled".

So I decided I would find myself a nice wallpaper that I could staple to the wall in our drab little mud area. Then, while shopping with my sister-in-law Saturday evening, I saw some uber-fabulous damask heavy weight wrapping paper in celery green. And I decided to go for the bold. Remember how I said that this house would help me push my design style in a new direction? Well, this celery green damask paper did just that!

I started by cutting pieces of the wrapping paper slightly longer than the height of each section of wall. Then I stapled them to the wall using my staple gun, and trimmed them with a razor blade. Because the paper isn't as wide as the space, I had to cut second pieces making sure to match the pattern...this part was a little trickier, but still not bad. Then I stapled them in the same way.

Now I realize that wrapping paper isn't made to withstand heavy use...and to be honest, although I think that the space is much happier, and quite pretty, I'm not sure how long I'll leave it. But the beauty of this project is how easy it is to change up. The wrapping paper was about 1/5 the cost of the wallpapers I had been looking at, so pulling it down won't hurt. If I decide down the line, that "going for the bold" is a little too much for me, I can always find a new subdued paper to replace it with.

But for now, this bright, bold damask really gives a happy punch to the dreary space...and makes me smile when I see it!

There's still time to enter the giveaway for a $75 Lisa Leonard Gift Certificate...just scroll down to the next post...drawing ends at 11:59 MST tonight!

Love that celery damask! One little idea... for a small space like this it is so easy to find a few yards of fantastic fabric, and then simply "wallpaper" it to the wall with liquid starch. Just paint the starch on the wall, spread on the fabric, smooth it down, and then starch on top again! When you want a change, just wet it down with warm water, peel it off and wash the wall.

Great idea. I too am in a rental and am always thinking of ways to spruce things up! I like that idea. I was thinking of something similar but to back my bookcases instead so it give a graphic punch without papering the walls!

LOVE your choice of wrapping paper for the space! Looks incredible! It makes me smile! It really spruced it up and makes me want to come over and hang my coat up on that wall! Great taste you have, my friend! Nice job as always!

LOVE the paper! I picked up a roll of black and white damask wrapping paper a few weeks ago and have been contemplating using it under my chair rail in my front sitting room. Love the design but not sure I want to invest the $ on such a bold pattern. After seeing yours I may give it a try.

Super cute -- and a good way to get rid of the winter blahs. You can even change it up seasonally if you want! Or for special occasions (birthday party?). We used to wrap our dorm door in college and always thought that was fun. : )

OMG SO INCREDIBLE! We are about to move and we know the move is only for one year, and I was totally dreading bland white walls. But after reading this...bland white walls be gone! This was an awesome post, thanks!

Holy Moly you did it again! You knocked my flats off and I'm loving every tiny square inch of that wall! Be still my heart the color the punch the print can I just gush some more....okay I will....It is fabulouSSSSSSSI want to paper something now....with that paper....I do...it's so darn happy!!!

I have used wallpaper on everything in my room (see my blog post from this week) including my table tops, as drawer liners, on shelves and as artwork, framed! But I hadn't thought about putting it on a wall. Cute idea. I get really heavy rolls of paper at my local dollar store. They often have Hallmark paper and there is a ton on the roll. I'm going to use this idea soon. Thanks!